Bill
Sent you a pm.
Bill, Because you asked and this is your thread will explain the mill a tad. And there is a lot of Timber in Oregon.
My saw mill uses a chainsaw, runs on a 20 ft angle iron track. Can be taken apart in 5 minutes and hauled in a car trunk, except for the track of course.
They brought the three 20 foot x 3.5"x2.5"x 1/4" thick angle irons yesterday delivered for $220 , friends, cut me a deal. They cut all the steel for the saw carraige previously.
Had a tree service for over 30 yrs, paid to dump tons of nice logs at landfills. Never had time to saw lumber then, but always hated to see beautiful logs wasted.
When sawing trees yrs ago, some dummy told me my chain was dull. I quickly told him: I know the chain is dull and needs sharpen badly, but I am too busy sawing right now and don`t have time to sharpen it!!
So my mill design has been evolving for 30 yrs, have watched every commercial and diy vid on you tube, also request dealer dvd`s.
Can use shorter bars, like a 24 inch bar and clamp the log on the saw motor side of track, no proplem.
Would be able to use a 5 foot bar for slabbing large stumps for table tops ect. Or carry it Downunder to mill some of their monster logs into lumber. ha ha
Because it has friction locks, it is adjusted for any width track/bed/trailer. My track will be bolted together so it coud be partially unbolted ect for sitting over a stump or whatever without moving the item to be milled if it is too heavy.
Have to say: This is the most versitile, solid mill that I know of at this time, DIY or commercial. Very affordable and maybe desired by many in this awful economy.
A mill can be purchased that can cut 5 foot slabs, it uses an optional (add on) chain saw bar and chain (maybe tree harvester bar and chain) to do the wide cuts = costs over $10,000.
Thinking of offering plans or kits. Because it comes apart and goes back together in minutes could be shipped for more reasonable cost. Maybe a hardware kit with the smaller items to make it very easy for the buyer. Can`t give away the details, but the components/parts that are used make it fun and easy to build and pro looking. There is no difficult measuring ect involved. A square has to be used on 4 welds. Don`t have to have any fancy measuring to so.
When you have all the pictures of parts rattling around in your head it`s like putting a puzzle together and some of them fall into place so neatly.
Maybe should ask if a mod could move this to the Tavern, sure got of track, its the coffee!!
Do think most of us members like to build things. Wood has been such a big thing in our lives for 100`s of yrs, 1,000s of yrs. Adam mite have had a woody. I read that Eve was the first carpenter.
Ron